Event Services

Grand Cayman Venues Spotlight: The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa

Monday, January 26, 2009 by Cvent Staff

The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa welcomes guests into the heart of Grand Cayman with airy, palm tree-filled lobbies and lush beachfront patios. With a spot on Conde Nast Traveler's 2002 Gold List, the Westin Casuarina is a first-class location to plan a tropical getaway for your meetings and events.

The hotel's seven meeting rooms can accommodate up to 400 people. Host an elegant reception of up to 315 people at the spacious Galleon Ballroom, or schedule a formal business meeting for 15 guests in one of two boardrooms. On-site audio-visual equipment and a dedicated conference and event services staff is on-hand to make sure your meeting at the Westin runs smoothly.

Work and play go hand-in-hand at the Westin Casuarina. Outside the meeting room, your event attendees can enjoy the marble baths and balconies in each of the 343 guest rooms; savor a meal at the four-diamond Casa Havana or beachfront Courtyard Cafe; or indulge in a treatment at the rejuvenating Hibiscus Spa.

View more information on The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa

Tips for Selecting a Restaurant Venue

Monday, December 29, 2008 by Cvent Staff

Taking advantage of recession specials at restaurant venues can be a great way to offer your event guests fine food, great ambiance and plenty of space for mingling—all at a price within your budget. Even if some of your potential restaurant options don't offer an official such special, it's likely that they can work out a group rate deal. Due to budget crunches, even pricier restaurants are willing to negotiate for your business.

Now that you've received some great quotes from potential venues, how do you decide on the best one for your event? The following factors are among those that should be considered when making the final selection:

• Size. You don't want dinner guests to feel isolated from each other, just as you don't want reception attendees to barely be able to take a step without bumping into someone. Make sure a restaurant's meeting space/private dining area can accommodate your group comfortably in the correct configuration.

Use tools such as Cvent's meeting space calculator to estimate how many people can fit in a room in different arrangements such as banquet and reception seating.

• Location. Now more than ever, guests are not willing to pay for a two-hour round-trip drive to an hour-long dinner event. Try to pick a restaurant within a half-hour radius of the majority of your guests.

If your restaurant venue will be used as one event item in a multi-day conference, consider picking a restaurant near the conference center and/or hotel—this will eliminate transportation costs on your part as well.

• Typical business. The restaurant's regular schedule can have an impact on your event's success. What are the restaurant's peak times and days of the week? How much staff do they have on hand at these times, and, more importantly, how many servers, etc., will they be able to lend to your event?

Also important to consider is whether or not any other events will be held at your desired time and date. Ask your venue how they propose to manage food service so as to make sure your event runs on time and the food is served hot.

Spotlight On: House of Blues Dallas

Wednesday, December 24, 2008 by Cvent Staff

Don't let its name fool you—the House of Blues in Dallas will have your event guests feeling anything but sad. Opened in May 2007, this hotspot has hosted over 400 shows by big names such as Bob Dylan, Fergie, O.A.R., Peter Frampton and Natasha Bedingfield. So spectacular is its venue and event programs that House of Blues was named the top club in the country by the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards.

With it reputation for hosting great events, it's no surprise that House of Blues is a great spot for your next Dallas event. Invite guests to HOB's Gospel Brunch, where they will enjoy an expansive buffet and the energizing music of live performances from local and national touring gospel groups. Host an intimate dinner of Southern-inspired cuisine such as Louisiana shrimp creole and "Fall off the Bone" baby back ribs at HOB's restaurant and bar, or get guests up and dancing with a reception at its Music Hall.

For a truly exclusive experience, planners can host an intimate event in the Foundation Room, a secluded club found at various House of Blues locations. The club's lounge features comfy sofas and 300-year-old antiques, while the fine dining room's 19th century furniture and oriental carpets are a perfect setting for enjoying the American-Pacific Rim fusion cuisine.

In addition to its versatile spaces and savory cuisine, House of Blues in Dallas offers event service options such as party favors and giveaways, audio-visual equipment, custom-decorated cakes, coat check and valet parking.

View more information on House of Blues Dallas

Going Green in San Francisco

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 by Cvent Staff

With 17 percent of its 49 square miles being devoted to parkland and open space, it's clear that San Francisco makes the environment a priority. In fact, the city was named one of the top 10 green cities in the United States by the Green Guide and the 2nd greenest U.S. city by Popular Science. It's no surprise that when you're looking to host a green event in San Francisco, you don't have to look far. Consider a few of the following convention hotels for your next meeting.

Orchard Hotel

The Orchard Hotel in San Francisco and its sister property Orchid Garden Hotel were the first LEED-certified hotels in California and the fourth in the world. Its sustainable practices include the use of organic cleaning products, low-flow plumbing, and halogen, compact fluorescent and LED lighting.

The effortlessly stylish hotel features a number of meeting rooms, including the Executive Boardroom and Wine Room at the Daffodil Restaurant. Its green meeting package offers amenities such as recycled notepads with soy-based ink pens, recycled containers for boxed lunches, and organic or locally sourced food and beverages.

Hotel Triton

The 140-room Hotel Triton welcomes guests with colorful wall murals, eye-catching photographs and a unique collection of celebrity suites, designed personally by entertainers. This hip setting can be enjoyed knowing that practices such as linen and towel re-use programs, 25 percent discount offers for valet parking of hybrid vehicles, and recycled hotel collateral efforts are in effect.

Part of the Kimpton Hotels' EarthCare: Eco Program, the Hotel Triton was among the first green hotels in the nation with its Eco 7th Floor. Here, rooms use water saving devices and air filtration/purifiers.

Not surprisingly, the trendy hotel has welcomed meetings for trend-setters such as Madonna's stylists, film crews from MTV and numerous Fortune 500 companies. Event planners can host meetings in the Creative Zone, which offers a private bathroom, projection screen, complimentary Internet access and more.

Hotel Carlton

This historic Nob Hill hotel may have a vintage style and rich heritage, but its take on the environment is anything but outdated. The Hotel Carlton, certified by the city as a Green Business, is the only hotel in the city to use solar panels. Its best practices also include composting food and landscape waste and purchasing Energy Star rated appliances and equipment.

The 161-room hotel's event space can accommodate up to 50 guests in theater seating or reception standing. Full catering and event services are available, as are audio-visual equipment rentals.

Best Restaurants for Brunch Events

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 by Cvent Staff

With so much emphasis on dinner parties and cocktail receptions, it's easy to overlook hosting catered events at other points in the day. The easy-going, congenial spirit of a brunch event is the perfect way to get your guests networking, and is certainly a classy way to welcome your event attendees or say farewell at the end of a multi-day conference.

When thinking about a brunch event, consider the following restaurant venues, all of which where named among Forbes Traveler's Best Brunches in America.

Salty's Seattle Seafood Restaurant

The impressive waterfront views at Salty's Seattle are matched only by its exquisite Northwest cuisine. All-you-can-eat Dungeness crab, fresh local oysters, omelettes made to order, crepes and homemade pastries are just the beginning of its award-winning brunch, so popular that its served both Sunday and Saturday.

With five private dining rooms, from the Skyline Ballroom for 300 guests to the Seaside Patio for 100 guests, Salty's has function space for events of all types.

Fire Food and Drink

Chef Douglas Katz' innovative creations are taking brunch to a whole new level at Fire Food and Drink in Cleveland. Braised pork crepes with creme fraiche, jumbo lump crab cakes with poached eggs and tomato hollandaise, and brioche French toast with roasted apples are among the many mouth-watering entrees served every Sunday.

Fire Food and Drink is a great venue for events in Cleveland of any size. Its private dining room and outdoor patio each seat up to 35 people. Event services such as housemade cakes, audio-visual equipment and valet parking are available.

Balthazar Restaurant

What better place to enjoy brunch than a cozy bistro with a Parisian feel? Look no further than Soho's Balthazar for your NYC events. From savory smoked salmon with creme fraiche to toasted brioche to sweet apple cinnamon pancakes, Balthazar has every taste covered.

Large groups and special events are welcome at the restaurant, which also offers prix fixe menus for groups of 12 or more people.

Catering Concerns: Gluten-Free Menu Options

Monday, December 8, 2008 by Cvent Staff

Among the many issues facing event planners is making sure your guests' dietary needs are known and addressed. As more and more Americans follow specialized diets, it's no longer acceptable to simply have a vegetarian option on hand.

One growing dietary concern among event guests is the need for a gluten-free option. It's estimated that about one in 133 people in America have Celiac Disease. Intolerant to dietary gluten, those diagnosed with Celiac Disease must abide by a gluten-free diet, eliminating wheat, rye, barley oats and ingredients made from these grains.

Luckily, event caterers are hearing the call from planners to offer gluten-free meals. Below are a few that can meet your needs for gluten-free fare.

Martino's Catering and Events

Rated as one of The Knot's Best of Weddings 2008 picks, Martino's Catering and Events is a great choice for weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, parties and other events in San Diego. This flexible caterer can service events of up to 1,000 people with all manners of cuisine and service style, from sit-down to drop-off. Its menus, which range from Italian to Mexican to Tropical, can be served gluten-free, dairy-free or organic.

Different Tastes

When in need of gluten-free meals for your Boston events, look no further than Different Tastes. This award-winning New England caterer serves as the exclusive caterer for prestigious venues such as the Back Bay Center and Symphony Hall. Different Tastes offers decadent cuisine on its buffet, sit-down and reception menus as well as a full line of gluten-free meals.

Broadway Pizzeria

Pizza on a gluten-free diet? It's possible with catering by Broadway Pizzeria, a Long Island-based pizzeria and catering establishment. New York event guests can enjoy a taste of this NYC staple thanks to its gluten-free pizza crust. Broadway Pizzeria can even end the event on a sweet note with new gluten-free cheesecake. Its other catering options include Italian favorites such as stromboli, pasta dishes, chicken parmigiana and more.

Using Web Surveys to Plan Successful Events

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 by Cvent Staff

Event planners need to understand what type of content attendees expect and demand in order to produce high quality events that leave an audience coming back for more. Like most products and services, events need a high level of attention from planners in terms of gauging expectations and feedback. Often overlooked, web surveys are extremely effective tools for doing so.

A survey tool can enable targeted speaker content, stir excitement, create buzz about future events and help identify logistics problems. This type of insight is very actionable and can be leveraged to create successful events. A successful event, by our definition, is one that not only delivers program content that meets (and exceeds) the expectations of the attendees, but also creates opportunities for higher event ROI. This means lead generation, opportunities to reduce costs and data points that help your organization as a whole.

Cvent’s latest white paper on event planning surveys highlights several key best practices that can be incorporated into your next event. Using surveys before, during and after your next event can help maximize success.

Here’s an expert tip from our white paper:

Create Marketing ROI through Lead Generation and Qualification

Raffles and sweepstakes are great incentives for guests to stop by your booth (or main information desk) for engagement opportunities. Invite them to submit their information to register; the possibility of winning a prize is a strong incentive for driving responses.

Online surveys offer an easy way to run a sweepstakes at your both. Set up a kiosk or computer station that invites attendees to fill out a quick "sweepstakes" registration, the form for which is really an online survey. Ask a few demographic questions in addition to one or two psychographic or purchasing questions to help you accurately qualify real prospects. The sweepstakes is an efficient means of generating booth/kiosk traffic and converting visitors into leads.

To read more, visit Cvent's Event Resources page.

Popular DC Event Venues

Monday, October 20, 2008 by Cvent Staff

From the White House to the U.S. Capitol, Washington DC certainly boasts tourist appeal. Lucky for the thousands of meeting planners looking to plan a Washington DC event, the city is not limited to just visitor attractions—it is also ripe with meeting facilities for corporate events, wedding receptions, business meetings and much more.

Which DC event venues are best? With so many locations to choose from, that's a tough question to answer. But at the same time, DC's wealth of options means event planners will never be at a loss for finding the perfect meeting destination. Here are three DC event venues sure to top your list:

Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium

This venue has a lot to offer both inside and out. On the outside, the intricate architectural details are eye-catching, while inside, 16,000 square feet of meeting space is enough to accommodate even the largest of events.

D.C. Armory

From conventions to circuses, inaugural balls to car shows, the D.C. Armory has seen it all. With seating for up to 10,000 guests, meeting planners never have to worry about finding space at this venue. Top-notch electrical services, event staff and parking facilities add to its event-friendly appeal.

SunTrust Conference Center

Both business meetings and wedding receptions can turn to the SunTrust Conference Center. Conveniently located, it is within walking distance of the White House as well as many other attractions and hotels. From a large cocktail reception to a small quarterly business meeting, events of all types and sizes are welcome at the SunTrust Conference Center.